This invention relates to a method and apparatus for mounting components and more particularly to an improved device that permits the handling of a plurality of components at the same time.
There are provided a wide variety of device that are intended to pick up articles at one position, transport them to another position and place them in an accurate location. Chip or component mounters for electrical apparatus are this type. Such component mounters will pick up a component such as an integrated circuit, capacitor, resistor or the like at a feed station, sense the orientation in which the article is picked up and then transport it to a station where it is mounted on a substrate such as a printed circuit board with the mounting being done to compensate for variations in the orientation in which the article is picked up in accordance with the previously made measurement.
Although this type of apparatus is extremely valuable, the necessity for picking the article up, determining its orientation and then subsequently mounting it with the mounting being corrected for variations in the orientation of the component as it is picked up, is rather time consuming.
It is, therefore, a principal object to this invention to provide a mounting method and apparatus which permits a plurality of components to be handled at the same time.
One area where the procedure is slowed down is in the sensing station where the orientation of the picked up component is sensed. If a single sensing station is employed and if only a single component can be sensed at the station at one time, then the handling time will be dictated by this sensing station and the entire apparatus will be slowed down.
It is, therefore, a further principal object to this invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby a plurality of components can be sensed in a single sensing station, thus speeding up the operation of the entire apparatus.
The actual sensing of a plurality of articles in a single sensing station has obvious advantages. If the articles can all be sensed at the same time or in the same star ion, then production can substantially be increased. However, with many types of sensors it is necessary to move the component while it is being sensed. Such movement can, however, interfere with other components in the same station.
It is, therefore, a further object to this invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby a plurality of components can be sensed in a single station without resulting in interference between the components.
If an apparatus is provided that includes a plurality of pick up devices for picking up a plurality of objects, and the plurality of pick up heads are mounted on a single carriage, the system can be greatly simplified. That is, if it is necessary to provide a support that permits translational movement independent of a plurality of mounting heads, the apparatus becomes extremely complicated and means must be insured so as to prevent the various pick up devices from running into each other or interfering with each other's operation.
It is, therefore, a still further object to this invention to provide an article handling apparatus wherein a plurality of component pick up device are carried by a single carriage that is moveable for movement of the gripped components between pick up stations and discharge points.
Where there are provided a plurality of pick up devices on the same carriage, it must be insured that the various operations and movements of the components when they are picked up, sensed and deposited will not interfere with each other. However, if each step must be performed in sequence on a single component and the sequence is not repeated for the next component until the sequence for the first component is completed, then the apparatus does not have as many advantages over the prior art type of constructions as would be desirable.
It is, therefore, a still further object to this invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby a plurality of components may be picked up by a plurality of pick ups, sensed and deposited with the sequence of operation being performed in an overlapping relationship so as to permit faster speed of operation.
If a plurality of pick up devices are carried by a single carriage, it is desirable to place those pick up devices in close proximity to each other. However, if this is done then the size of the components which can be handled will be limited by the proximity of the pick up devices to each other.
It is, therefore, a still further object to this invention to provide a component handling apparatus that has a plurality of pick up devices carried by a single carriage by wherein components that are larger than the space between the pick up devices may be handled if desired.